Relay.



PATENTED FEB. 6. 1906.

J. BARCLAY.

RELAY. APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YORK.

JOHN (J. BARCLAY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Feb. 6, 1906.

Application filed July 11, 1905. Serial No. 269,164.

following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My lnventi'on relates generally to circuitclosers of the class commonly termed relays, and relates particularly to relays I I adapted for controlling a large number of cir- 'cuits.

The relay herein described is particularly intended for use in the printing-telegraph system set forth in my Patent No. 758,732, dated May 3, 1904, and in subsequent patents and applications for patents, but is adapted for use wherever a relay is required to control a number of circuits.

The objects of my invention are to improve and simplify relays for controlling a number of circuits, to adapt such relay for operation as a polar relay, to provide for ready adjustment of the contact-points, and generally to make the relay simple, inexpensive, durable, and sensitive in operation.

I will now roceed to describe my invention with re erence to the accompanying drawings, in which one embodiment of my invention is illustrated, and will then point out the novel features in claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 shows a top view and partial section of one form of my improved relay arranged to operate as a polar relay. Fig. 2 shows a side view thereof. Fig. 3 shows a front view of the relay. Fig. 4 shows, on a smaller scale, the said relay as adapted for operation as a neutral relay, the view being a top view similar to Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, numeral 1 designates the armature-lever of the relay,

which lever is arranged between the opposed field-pieces 2 2 of operating-magnets 3 3 and is arranged to vibrate fromrside' to side between said field- )ieces. The relay shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 cing a polar relay, its ar mature is magnetized or polarized by a suit able magnet, in this instance by an electromagnet 5.

Suitable stop-screws 6 6 are provided.

In order that all of the contacts operated by the relay may operate under similar conditions and may be readily accessible for adjustment, inspection, 850., and in order to avoid the use of a long armature-lever, and, further, in order to avoid the mechanical and structural complication which is unavoidable in case a number of contact-points are mounted on the armature-lever itself I mount the movable contact-pieces of the relay not on the armature-lever itself but upon a rocker 7, mounted to vibrate or oscillate, as shown, and provided at its back with a pin 8, the

rounded head of which works within a recess I in the end of the armature-lever, so that as said lever moves back and forth the rocker is oscillated about its axis.

The rocker 7 is constructed in the main of insulating material, as indicated, and is provided with a plurality of contact-pins 9, proecting through the rocker from back to front thereof and constituting the movable con.- tact-pieces of the relay. For each of these pins 9 there is a corresponding spring-brush 10, which, as shown, is arranged to be in electrical contact with its corresponding pin 9 continuously, serving to connect the same to a convenient terminal, while )ermitting motion of the rocker. These rushes 10 are mounted on a suitable block of insulating material 11, and to them circuit-wires may be connected as desired. For each of the pins 9 there are also one or more other brushes 12, adapted to make contact with the front ends of the pins. As shown, these brushes 12 are arranged in two groups on opposite sides of the central position -of the pins 9, one group arranged to make contact with their respective pins when the armature-lever is to one side of its central position, the othergroup arranged to make contact with their respective pins when the armature-lever is on the other side of its central iosition. These s rings are mounted on suitable blocks. of insu ating material 13 and 14, and are thereby insulated. from each other. Circuitwires may be connected to them in any convenient orsuitable manner. They are exceedingly flexible and may be adjusted as desired by simply bending them. As ap 'pears i'ronithe drawings, they are readily acthe pins 9 over the brushes 10 and 12 being a sliding movement, the contact-points are lrept clean automatically and require little ms ection.

ince all of the pins 9 have the same an ular movement, all of the contacts of the re ay operate under precisely similar conditions in this respect, and difl'erences in their operation, it any, are due to the adjustment of the brushes and may be varied or regulatedas desired. The rocker 7 is lightand the arrangement of the magnets is such as to insure powerful and relatively rapid operation of the relay.

It will be obvious that the arrangement of contact devices embodied in my relay is not dependent upon any particular arrangement of magnets and that-said magnets are not necessarilv so arranged as to make the device a polar relay. To the contrary, any suitable or customary arrangement of magnets may be employed.

Fig. 4 illustrates a neutral relay constructed according to my invention, there being no polarizing-magnet 5, the field-magnet 3 bemg on one side only of the armature and aretractile spring 4 being provided, as is customary in nedtral relays.

What I claim is 1. In a relay, the combination with an an mature-lever and means comprisin an. electromagnet for operating the same, ofa vibrating member separately mounted but having a driving connection with said armature-lever, and a plurality of projecting contactpieces carried thereby and insulated from each other, and other contact devices against l Which said contact-pieces of the vibrating member play as the latter vibrates, thereby making and breaking contact.

2. In a relay, the combination with an armature-lever'and means comprisin an electromagnet for operating the same, 0 a vibrating member separately mounted but having a drivin connection with said armature-lever, a pfurality of projecting contact-pieces carried thereby and insulated from each other, contact devices against which said con-- tact-pieces of the vibrating member play as the latter vibrates, thereby making and breaking contact, and other contactieces in permanent electrical connection wit said vibrating contact-pieces, arranged to make connection therewith while permitting motion thereof.

3. In a relay, the combination with an armature-lever and means cOInprising an elec tromagnet for operating the same, of a rocker of insulating material mounted to oscillate and having a driving connection with said armature-lever, contact-pins carried thereby extending through said rocker, and each proj ecting therefrom at one end, contact-brushes permanently in contact with said pins and sci-vim to convey electric current thereto,

and other contact-brushes arranged in roximity to the said projecting ends of sai pins and arranged to make and break contact therewith as the rocker oscillates.

ln testimonv whereof I altix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. BARCLAY.

Witnesses:

ll. M. MARBLE,

U. A. VAN BRUNT. 

